Men's Sports, Men's Volleyball, Sports

Men’s volleyball team upsets second-ranked BYU

Weekends for the Long Beach State men’s volleyball team didn’t seem like they could get any better until the 49ers triumphed over No. 2 BYU 3-1 before sweeping Cal Baptist the following night to gain its sixth straight win.

The 49ers (13-4, 12-4 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) started the night with great confidence as they commanded the lead the entire first for a 1-0 advantage as they shocked the Cougars with a 25-21 win.
Momentum was carried into the second match as the 49ers again, stayed in the lead for a quick 25-16 victory.

The third set was crucial for the Cougars (13-4, 13-2 MPSF) to win, and they did not make it easy for the 49ers as they showed some resistance with their first lead at 22-21. From there, each team never trailed by more than one point. But the Cougars pulled away with a possible comeback with a Taylor Sander kill and ended the set at 25-27.

The fourth set looked like it belonged to the Cougars as they kept the lead most of the time until a Jeff Ornee kill cut the 49ers’ difference by one at 22-23. Like the third set, both teams went back and forth and never trailed by more than one point, but an Ornee kill and a 49er triple block left the 49ers in joy and excitement with a 27-25 victory.

Focusing on improving what the team has control over more than worrying about the opponents has been a consistent strategy in head coach Alan Knipe’s plan for success. More recently, Knipe made it a goal to expand his offense for a more rounded team.

“It’s great to have more than one go-to guy when playing in such a competitive league,” Knipe said. “We are continually working on diversifying our offense as we use all the talent we have.”

LBSU had a 61-45 advantage in digs and had three players obtain double-doubles, while BYU was led by Taylor Sanders, the only Cougar to register double-digit kills.

Taylor Crabb led his team with 21 kills and 13 digs as he hit a .429 clip. Dalton Ammerman contributed 16 kills and 13 digs, while Ian Satterfield added 12 kills and 10 digs. Jeff Ornee chipped in nine kills, four blocks and two aces.

The next day, LBSU took care of business against Cal Baptist, beating the

Lancers in three sets at 25-18, 25-21 and 25-16.
After weeks of suffering injuries, the 49ers are happy to finally have a healthy team that can use all its talents.

“Having a healthy Dalton [Ammerman] makes us a much better team in many different areas,” head coach Alan Knipe said. “And we’re also a much better volleyball team than we were before. So all the hard work and patience is paying off.

LBSU will conclude its eight-match homestand next weekend with the annual Active Ankle Classic. The 49ers will open the four-team tournament against Ohio State on Friday, March 14, and then face Penn State the following day. Both matches begin at 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.

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